Cigar-machine



(No Model.) 2 Shets-QSheet 1.

WMM. STBINLE.

y GIGAR MAGHINE. No. 354,491. Patented Deo. 14, 1886.

Mlll'll? SEEE- l. retina Pnmunwlnpher, vla-mmm D. c

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. M. STEINLE.

GIGAR MAGHINE.

Patented Deo. 14, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. STEINLE, OF ALLEGHEN Y CITY, ASSIGNOR TO THE RALEIGH MANUFAGTURTNG COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ClGAR-MACHINE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,491, dated December 14, 1886.

Application tiled September 3, 1884. Serial No. 142,100. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. STEINLE, of Allegheny City, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cigar-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description thereof,

referencebeinghad tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a side elevation of my improved cigar-bunching machine. Fig. 2 is a section on the line a x of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion ofthe machine. Fig. 4 is a front elevation. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line y y of Fig. 4, showing the bunching devices in another position. Figs. G, 7, 8, 9, and l0 are detail views.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts wherever they occur.

The purpose of my invention is to make what is called the bunch of a cigar-that is, the body of the cigar without the external wrapper.

The frame of the machine consists, mainly, of two side pieces, @,in which thel operative part-s are mounted, and which are in turn supported upon a suitable table, c. Journaled in the side pieces, a, is ashaft, b, upon which is mounted loosely a frame, o', which carries a segmental roller-plate, c. An oscillating or vibrating motion is given to the roller-plate c in one direction by a lever, d, through link cZ, crank cl2, shaft Z), armsff, and pinsfs, andin the reverse direction by a spring, e. The lever d is pivoted to the frame a, and is connected with the shaft b, so as to turn it, by means of a pivoted link, d', which in turn is pivoted to a crank-arm, d2, which is keyed to the shaft b. Projecting from the shaft b, inside of the frame a, are two arms, f, which are rigidly secured to the shaft, so as to be moved when the latter is turned. On the ends of the arms f are other arms f, the outer ends of which are connected together by a cross-bar, f2, formed, preferably, with a grooved or concave face, and near the end of each of the arms f', adjacent to the cross-barfg, is a laterallyprojecting pin, f3. These pins f3 bea-r on the rection, it simply releases the plate c, andV thereby permits the spring e to act on the frame c'and restore the plate c to its normal position. (See Fig. l.)

Thespring e consists of arod having a strong coil, e', below the shaft b, one end being attached to the side of the frame a3, as at e2, and the other to the frame c at e3, the rod being bent over the shaft Z1 between the coil e and the pointof attachment e3. This spring is so tensioned that when` the plate c is drawn forward by the operator, occupying a position in the rear of the table c2, the spring is tightened, so that when the lever d is released it will throw the plate c back to its normal po sition. p Extending over the face of theplate cisaloose belt, g, which in width is equal to or slightlyin excess of the length of the cigar-bunch to be made. One end of this belt is fastened to the edge of the plate c at g, and the other end, after passing over the rolls g2 and g3, is fastened to a tension-rolhg, the rolls g2 and lf1 being journaled in the frame c and the roll g4 in the frame c. The belt g is of sufficient length to form a bight or loop, g5, for the reception of the tobacco between the edge of the plate c and the side of the roll g2.

Secured betweenthe two side pieces, a, is the inclined back a3, in which is placeda sliding mold, h, containing any desired number of blocks h', for receiving the ci gar-bunches from the machine. Secured rigidly to the rear side of the shaft b is a short arm, h2, and pivoted thereto is a pawl, h3, the end of which plays over the surface of the molds 7L. Vhen the lever d is drawn in the direction of the table a2, the end of the pawl h3, catching in one of the molds 7L", pushes the sliding'mold h up a certain regulated distance, so as to bring the molds one by one into position to receive a finished bunch from the bunching-frame. The mold h is retained in its proper position by means of the tension-plate h5, which bears against one edge, and is capable of retraction for the purpose of removing the mold. This tension-plate is caused to have an elastic bearing against the edge of the mold 7L by means of the pivoted levers h6, which are caused to press against it at opposite ends by means of the spring hl. When it is desired to remove the frame h, the levers hG are turned so as to throw the points of attachment of the spring YhlV over the centers of the pivots of the levers. When the mold is restored to position, the levers are turned the other way, so as to cause the pressure of the spring h7 to act inwardly against the tension-plate h5.

Thus constructed and arranged, the operation of my improved machine is as follows: The parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1, the tobacco which constitutes the filler of the cigar is placed in the loop or bightgV5 and the binder or inner wrapper is placed on top. The workman, occupying a position back of the table a2, then draws the lever d toward him, whereupon the link d', through crankarm d, keyed to shaft b, arms f f and pins f s, take' up the loosely-mounted oscillating frame c', thereby causing the plate c to move downward past the roll g?, so as to cause the belt g to close around the bunch of tobacco z', as shown in Fig. 5, one end of the belt being fastened to the roll g4. The movement of the frame c draws the belt g around the bunch i and over the surfaces of the rolls gZ g3, causing the bunch to be rotated or rolled in the bight g5 in such a manner that the filler is encircled by the binder and a cylindrical bunch ef the proper size and form is produced. The vibration of the plate c causes the point g to pass below the roll g2 and to take up the slack of the belt g, so as to eject the bunch therefrom, as shown in Fig. 10. The edge of the frame c', which projects beyond the edge g of the plate g, is covered with a cross strip or plate, ci, which forms a ledge, upon which the y bunch 13 may rest as the frame is being restored to its normal position by the action of the spring e, as shown in Fig. 1. Vhen the bunch t' is ej ected'from thebelt g, itfalls on the concave edge of the barfz, as shown in Fig. 10. The workman then moves the lever d back to its normal position, as'shown in Fig. 1, the plate and its frame c being caused to move with or follow the lever by the spring e. After the plate c comes to its normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, the workman continues to push the lever d toward the mold 7L until the cross-bar 6o f2 pushes the bunch off of the plate c2 into the recess h4 of one of the blocks h. This continued movement of the cross-bar or ejector independently of the oscillating frame c is possible, because the oscillating frame is loosely mounted on'the shaft b. The next forward motion of the lever d in forming the next bunch causes the pawl h? to push the mold h up one space, so as to bring the next block, h, in position for receiving the next finished bunch from the bunching mechanism. The roll g2 is made up of a central shaft and disk-like sections, as shown in Fig. 7, and is of the proper shape to give the desired form to the bunch. The pawl h3 is adjustable so as to give a longer or shorter movement to the mold-frame h by means of a slot, ha, in the arm h2,- or, if desired, this slot may be made in the pivoted end of the pawl.

In Fig. 9 I show the construction of the tension-roller g4. rIhis roller is provided with a slot, ge, in which the end of the belt g is secured by means of the clamp screw gl.

In Fig. 8 I show the use of a continuous belt, g. In this case the guide-roll g8 is substituted for the roll g* and the latter put in another position, and both ends of the belt are secured in the slot gs. An advantage of this construction consists in. the fact that if the belt y becomes worn at the bight g5 it can be shifted so as to bring another port-ion into that position, and thereby distribute the wear over the whole surface.

A great advantage of my machine is its simplicity of construction and the fact that it is under the perfect control of the workman. It is very rapid in its operation, and its use enables one operator to make not only a very much greater number but also very much better cigar-bunches than by hand, so that labor is saved and the quality of the product is improved.

On the 13th day of February, 1885, I filed an application, Serial No. 155,842, for'certain improvements on this class of cigar-bunching machines, and I hereby disclaim any subjectmatter claimed in said case, to which reference is hereby made for the purposes of this disclaimer.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for forming cigar-bunches, the combination of a curved oscillating forining-plate with a forming-roll past which the forming-plate vibrates, a slack belt extending over the surface of the same and over the roll, so as to form a bight or loop for receiving the tobacco between them, an ejector which vibrates with the oscillating plate, and mechanism for moving the ejector, substantially as and for the purposes specied.

2. In a machine for forming cigar-bunches, the combination, with a forming-roll and slack belt, of a curved oscillating forming plate loosely journaled on its shaft, a shaft having a cranklarm, a lever pivoted on the frame of the oscillating forming-plate, a link which connects the lever with the crank arm of the shaft, an ejector actuated from the shaft, and mechanism for reversing the movement of the oscillating forming-plate when released, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination of the curved oscillating forming-plate and forming-belt, with a shelf or ledge for' receiving the bunch when discharged from the forming-belt, and a crossbar, with mechanism for reciprocating it to eject the bunch from the ledge, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, with a ferming-roll and slack belt, of an oscillating forming-plate, a reciprocating ejector Which vibrates with the plate, a sliding mold, and a shaft having crankarms from which the plate, ejector, and mold are actuated, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

- 5. In a machine for bunching cigars, the combination, With bunching mechanism, of the sliding mold, Jivoted spring-levers, a tension-plate actuated by the spring-levers and arranged to bear on one edge of the sliding mold and a pawl actuated from the bunching mechanism i'or moving the mold, substantially as and for the purposes specied.

6. The oscillating forming plate and its receiving-ledge, in combination with an inclined mold and a reciprocating ejector, f2, arranged under the forming-plate for transferring the bunch from the bunehing" mechanism to the moldjcavity, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination, With the .formingroll and oscillating forming-plate, of an endless band or slack belt and the longitudinally-slotted grip or clamp-roller provided With a clamp-screw which permits the shifting or adjustment of the belt to compensate for wear, substantially as and for the purposes speciiied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of August, A. D. 1884.

IVILLIAM DI. STEINLE.

Witnesses:

Trios. LIGGETT, THoMAs B. Knien. 

